The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
During manufacturing, a vehicle may undergo a steering wheel alignment process to verify the alignment of the steering wheel with respect to the wheels of the vehicles, or in other words, direction of travel of the vehicle. For example, for a front drive vehicle, the front wheels of the vehicle are rotated and directed in one or more directions to obtain various measurements, such as direction of tires relative to a centerline of the vehicle, inclination of the steering wheel, and suspension angle.
To measure the inclination of the steering wheel, a steering alignment tool, which may also be referred to as a clear vision tool, is arranged on the steering wheel. Generally, the steering alignment tool is more of a fixture that has complex components with many moving parts. For instance, the tool is typically positioned at an upper portion of the steering wheel and requires contact with a windshield of the vehicle for additional stability. With the high center of gravity and interaction with the windshield, the alignment tool can inadvertently rotate the steering wheel out of position and/or restrict the movement of the steering wheel during testing. These and other issues are addressed by the teachings of the present disclosure.